"Servant leadership," defined by Robert Greenleaf, emphasizes inverting the traditional hierarchy to place employees at the top. While the author once supported this approach during their career at HP and Texas Instruments, their views shifted after joining a large Taiwanese manufacturing company. They now believe ambitious employees require strong leadership rather than a "servant" leader.
The author has since distributed copies of *Serve Up, Coach Down* to company executives, emphasizing that middle managers should serve their superiors while guiding their teams.
They argue that effective management must consider cultural contexts, especially in Taiwan's evolving business landscape. Ultimately, the author asserts that successful companies share two traits: strong leadership and effective execution, challenging the notion that leaders should act as servants to inspire their teams.
Who serves who in a business?